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about our boards

International Samaritan currently has two boards and one advisory committee.  Interested in joining one of our boards? Check our Team Page for any board openings.

board of trustees for international samaritan

Bobby Adusumilli

Toledo, Ohio

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Ken Birch

Toledo, Ohio

 

Kyle Doran

Boston, Masschusetts

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Tsion Firew, M.D.

Kigali, Rwanda

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Fr. Bobby Karle, SJ

Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Patricia McNally, MD

Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Christopher Lindsey

Las Vegas, Nevada

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Scott Savage

Toledo, Ohio

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Jeff Styers

Detroit, Michigan

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Mike Tenbusch

Detroit, Michigan

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Dan Weingartz

Detroit, Michigan

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board emeritus

Karen Pulte

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Joe Rideout

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In Loving Memory

J. Michael Bernard (1960-2026)

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Clay Mathile (1941-2023)

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William Pulte (1932-2018)

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board of fundación buen samaritano

Francisco Baltazar

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Miguel Lopez

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Milthon Barrera

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Andrew Pawuk

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Evelin Guzmán

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Mike Tenbusch

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Edgar Lojotz

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ethiopian advisory committee

Tsion Firew, M.D.

Advisory Committee Member

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Mahlet Fitsum

Advisory Committee Member

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Suleiman Shifaw

Advisory Committee Member

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Ephrem Tekle Lemango, M.D.

Advisory Committee Member

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Yared Tewolde

Advisory Committee Member

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Birikit Tiruneh

Advisory Committee Member

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Fr. Odomaro, S.J.

Advisory Committee Member

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Kenyan Advisory Board

Dr. Kamau Boro

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Jane Nyambura

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Caren

Caren Wakoli

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Bobby Adusumilli

Bobby Adusumilli is a Chartered Financial Analyst with SJS Investment Services, based in Toledo, Ohio. Bobby brings to SJS a wealth of experience. During his time with Dimensional Fund Advisors, Bobby served as a Portfolio Management Analyst / Associate at offices in Austin, Charlotte, and London, where he worked closely with emerging markets equity portfolios.

Bobby graduated Valedictorian from St. John’s Jesuit High School in Toledo, helping St. John’s win the 2011 Ohio Tennis Team State Championship. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Chicago, where he captained the men’s varsity tennis team, which advanced to the Final Four twice during his tenure.

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Kyle Doran

Kyle Doran is the Head of Business Development and Operations at NeuroPro Concussion and Mental Health Clinic, where he leads strategic growth, partnerships, and operations. Prior to NeuroPro, he worked in private equity in Boston (Egeria and Nonantum) and began his career as a consultant with McKinsey & Company.

Kyle earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, where he was a captain of the basketball team.

As a member of the Board of Trustees, Kyle is passionate about helping International Samaritan expand its impact and create lasting opportunities for children and families around the world. Kyle joins the board inspired by his family’s (father and brother) military service and lifetime of giving back. Go Navy, Beat Army!

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About Dr. Tsion Firew

Tsion is an emergency physician and assistant professor of Emergency Medicine at Columbia University in New York and an advisor to the Ministry of Health for the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.  Born and raised in Ethiopia, Tsion received her undergraduate degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Georgia, her medical education at New York Medical College, and her master’s in public health from Columba University in population and family.  She has had the opportunity to respond in a humanitarian crisis in Haiti and recently in Mosul Iraq during the war against ISIS. Before joining the ministry, she worked on emergency medicine assessment and capacity building in Ghana, Ethiopia and worked as an intern at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva under the WHO’s emergency, trauma, and acute care program.

Fr. Robert E.Karle, S.J.

Bobby Karle, SJ, was born and raised in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. He met the Jesuits while he was a student at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School (UofD High), where he participated in campus ministry, community service, and the ice hockey program. Bobby has degrees from DePaul University, Fordham University, and a Master of Divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University in Berkeley, California. He was ordained on June 12, 2021 and will serve for two years as a Pastoral Associate at St. Mary Student Parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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Patricia McNally, MD

Dr. Patricia McNally went to medical school at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine, graduating in 1999. She then went on to do a Combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics residency at the University of Michigan and St. Joseph Mercy Hospital. After residency, she spent one year as an internal medicine chief resident at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, where she developed her interest in teaching. She then stayed on as a Core Faculty teacher, became Associate Program Director and is currently the Internal Medicine Program Director. Dr. McNally’s special interests include graduate medical education, end-of-life care, and healthcare of underserved populations.

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About Christopher Lindsey

Christopher Lindsey is the Head of U.S. Sales for Jane Street’s Institutional Sales & Trading business. In this role, Chris is responsible for strategic direction and resource management within product sales efforts throughout America. Prior to joining Jane Street in 2016, Chris spent 16 years with the Royal Bank of Canada. He held a number of positions, but most recently was Managing Director and Global Head of Secured Lending.

Originally from Ohio, Chris holds a Bachelor of Science and Engineering in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania where he was a member of the wrestling team.

About Scott Savage

Scott is the visionary founder of SJS Investment Services and serves on the firm’s Investment Committee, guiding portfolio design and overall investment strategy. He believes the most meaningful part of SJS is its ability to positively impact the lives of clients, employees, and partners, guided by a simple mission – peace of mind. Outside of work, Scott is an avid reader who enjoys skiing and hiking. In 2005, he competed in the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii—despite not knowing how to swim when he first set the goal.

A Toledo native and the fourth of nine children, Scott earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The Ohio State University. He is deeply committed to civic and community leadership and currently serves on several boards, including Metroparks Toledo, International Samaritan, and KRONK Boxing Gym / ESCOT Youth Development, and has held numerous leadership and trustee roles with respected regional institutions. His passion for investing began at age 12, when his father introduced him to stock listings in the sports section, sparking a lifelong career in finance. Scott is the proud father of four and grandfather of two.

Jeff Styers
Southfield, MI

Jeff Styers is the founder and CEO of Arrow Strategies, a staffing solutions company, which has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the Fastest Growing Companies for nine consecutive years and one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For for thirteen consecutive years.  Jeff has extensive experience in Leadership, Talent Acquisition, Sales, and Operations.

Jeff is also the founder of Norwayne Boxing Gym, a youth development program for the community in which he was raised. He recently partnered with Kronk Boxing Detroit to equip more champions in the boxing ring and in life.  When not working, Jeff enjoys his passion for the outdoors, golf, boxing, and spending as much time as he can with his wife Lisa, daughter, Leah, and yellow lab, Howard.  Jeff is also a former United States Marine and undefeated professional boxer.

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Mike Tenbusch
President & CEO

A graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, Mike co-founded Think Detroit with Dan Varner in 1997, which was named Crain’s Detroit Business Best-Managed Non-Profit in 2004 and merged with Detroit PAL in 2006. After serving on Detroit’s school board, Mike then led an effort at the United Way for Southeastern Michigan to move graduation rates from less than 60% to 80% or higher in the region’s most historically challenged high schools. He also served as the founding executive director of the SAY Detroit Play Center and interim CEO of the Detroit Parent Network. He is the author of The Jonathan Effect: Helping Kids and Schools Win the Battle Against Poverty, called a “moving, inspiring and important book” by bestselling author Dan Heath. Since 2019, Mike has led International Samaritan, a Christ-centered organization whose mission is to walk hand-in-hand with people who live and work in the garbage dumps of developing nations to help them break out of poverty. International Samaritan provides holistic scholarships for students from kindergarten through college, currently supporting nearly 1,000 scholars in Central America, the Caribbean, and East Africa. Mike and his wife, Maritza, have three children: Grace, Julia, and Jacob.

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About Dan Weingartz

Dan is a partner in a successful, third-generation family-owned business.  He is passionate about the important role of small business in our economy and in people’s lives and is proud to say that his family has been successful in the difficult task of running a business and still staying very close personally.  Their business focuses on sales, parts and service of outdoor power equipment – from chainsaws to mowers to 100-HP loaders. Their primary customers are homeowners, landscapers, golf courses, rental yards, cemeteries and municipal organizations.  Outside of the family business, Dan is involved in many charitable causes and organizations.

Karen Pulte
Board Emeritus

Karen serves on the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation’s Board of Directors and as the Director of the Pulte Scholarship Program, which offers scholarships for public and private schools, trade schools, colleges, and universities.

Karen is a global philanthropist. Karen and her late husband, Willam J. Pulte (1932-2018) helped create International Samaritan, a non-profit specifically formed to combat the ravages of garbage dump towns. Karen served on the board of International Samaritan for twenty-five years.

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About Joe Rideout, Esq.

Partner in law firm of Shumaker, Loop, & Kendrick, LLP of Toledo & Columbus, Ohio, Tampa, Florida, and Charlotte, North Carolina; current Administrator of the firm’s real estate department; extensive history with civic and charitable pursuits in Ohio and elsewhere.

Mike Bernard, a board member and good friend to International Samaritan, passed away in a cycling accident in February 2026. He had been a member of our board of directors since 2012, and had a profound impact on our success. He consistently and purposefully applied his considerable talents for the benefit of many. 

Clay Mathile
Board Emeritus

Clay was a visionary leader, impassioned philanthropist, devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend. He profoundly changed the lives of many through his generous heart, his entrepreneurial spirit, and his unwavering belief in others.

Clay and MaryAnn Mathile were adamant about using their success to improve lives; together, the couple established a family legacy of service by founding and financing multiple nonprofit organizations, including International Samaritan.

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William Pulte
Board Emeritus

Bill was a quiet giver who shared his resources and faith in support of organizations and communities that reflected his vision of a more caring and compassionate world. Often religious leaders called upon him to replace the church or school roof or air conditioning units, remodel the living quarters and support their soup kitchens. Others came to him for seed money to build orphanages, houses, and classrooms. Bill helped provide needy families in Detroit with shelter, heat, and electricity. Bill also served as an philanthropist for Detroit’s Cornerstone Schools, providing education for thousands of young Detroiters. One of Bill and his wife Karen’s favorite missions was building homes and shelters for those in poverty. Together, they donated thousands of housing units and shelters to Central America’s poorest communities.

Read more on the Pulte Family Foundation website.

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Francisco Baltazar
Board, Vice President

Francisco is an automotive technician who graduated from Kinal in 2012. He began his professional career in 2013 at Honda, where he developed a strong foundation in technical automotive skills. In 2017, he worked as a Service Advisor for the motorcycle brand Hero, and in 2018, he gained additional experience working as a cashier for a small automotive services company. In 2020, Francisco continued building his experience in a small automotive workshop, where he further strengthened his technical and practical knowledge. In 2025, he joined Cofiño as a Diagnostic Technician, taking on a more complex and comprehensive role. Francisco began his university studies in Systems Engineering in 2020, later transitioning to Industrial Engineering. 

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Miguel Ángel López
Board Treasurer

Miguel is originally from Guatemala City and currently works in the fraud department at an American bank. He is also a student at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, where he is enrolled in the Faculty of Legal and Social Sciences. Miguel is single, enjoys traveling, and currently serves as a youth leader at his church. He lives with his parents and siblings. He is bilingual, speaking both his native Spanish and English, and he is currently learning French in order to qualify for a promotion.

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Milthon Barrera
Board President

Milthon is a Certified Public Accountant and Auditor holding a Master’s degree in International Public Accounting. He is a partner at the auditing firm Barrera y Rivera Asociados. For over 30 years, he has served as an independent accountant and auditor for various industrial, commercial, and service-sector companies. Milthon has also worked as an auditor and financial advisor for several non-governmental organizations—work that has allowed him to travel throughout the entire Republic of Guatemala. He is an active member of the Catholic Church, attending the parish near his home, and since his youth, he has worked alongside his wife in ministry to young people and married couples. Milthon is married and has two children.

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Andrew Pawuk
Vice President of International Programs

Andrew holds a Masters Degree in International Studies from Ohio University and has two B.A. Degrees from Miami University in International Relations and Spanish. He was also part of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Peru before joining us at International Samaritan. He has been with International Samaritan for more than a decade, making him our longest-tenured employee. Outside of work, Andrew enjoys ornithology and spending time with his wife and daughter.

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Evelin Guzmán
Board Secretary

Evelin currently serves as Secretary of the Board. She works as head of production at Café 12 Onzas. Her experience on the board has been very positive and has evolved significantly over time, and she is encouraged by the changes being made to continue strengthening each scholarship provided through the program.

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Edgar López
Board Member

Edgar López is a former International Samaritan scholar. Discipline, effort, perseverance, steadfastness, and—above all—a commitment to doing a job well are the values ​​that characterize and distinguish him. Edgar holds a Technical Drawing certification from KINAL and has completed five semesters of a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture. He has more than 11 years of experience in retail sales, serving as a sales consultant specializing in construction materials, hardware, and power tools. He currently works for Novex Hardware.

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About Dr. Firew

Dr. Tsion Firew is an assistant professor at Columbia University Department of Medicine. She is emergency medicine physician in New York. Dr. Tsion is currently serving as a special advisor to the Minister of Health in Ethiopia.

About Ms. Fitsum

Ms. Mahlet Fitsum is human rights lawyer and attorney at law. She is a researcher, trainer and women’s rights advocate. Mahlet represents Private Sectors, Government organizations, Non-Government Organizations as well as International Institutions.

About Mr. Shifaw

Suleiman Shifaw is the co-founder of Felek notebooks. Felek combines traditional artisanship with contemporary ecofriendly designs. Felek is making efforts to put a dent in illiteracy and to increase the reach of education in disenfranchised sectors of the population. They do so by following a business model that promises to cover the cost of one student’s exercise book supply for an entire school year for every notebook purchase.

About Dr. Tekle Lemango

Dr. Ephrem Tekle Lemango is the job commissioner of the Commission for Job Creation for the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Commissioner Ephrem has worked as the director of Maternal and Child Health Directorate under the Ministry of Health and he also served the International Institute for Primary Health Care – Ethiopia as Executive director before assuming his current position.

About Mr. Tewolde

Yared Tewolde is owner of Naytra logistics P.L.C. His company handles customs clearing, port handing, and freight forwarding and transportation services in Ethiopia. Yared works with various national and international companies.

About Mrs. Tiruneh

Mrs. Birikit Tiruneh is the founding director of Women’s Health Association of Ethiopia, a grassroots knowledge-building organization that focuses on training women in life skills as well as health matters. Women’s Health works across nine regions in Ethiopia seeking economic empowerment through investing in marginalized women’s group businesses.

Fr. Odomaro, S.J.
Advisory Committee Member

Fr. Odomaro Mubangizi SJ, is a former Dean of the Philosophy Department, Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Addis Ababa. Currently, he is Deputy Director and Director, Academic and Student Affairs, at the Proposed Hekima University, Nairobi, Kenya.

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Dr. Kamau Peter Boro
Board Member

Dr Kamau Peter Boro is a Senior Medical Specialist working in Kiambu, Kenya. He has a keen interest in primary health care systems that equip communities with the necessary knowledge and resources to take care of their health and access healthcare services when needed. Dr Kamau graduated from Moi University in 2019 with a master’s degree in Family Medicine having earned a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree in 2008 from the University of Nairobi. Dr. Boro and his wife also serve as youth pastors in their local church.

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Jane Nyambura
Board Treasurer

Jane is a passionate sustainability leader with over two decades of experience helping companies and communities become more purpose-driven. She has built powerful partnerships across business, civil society, and government to tackle systemic challenges in supply chains, human rights, and climate resilience.

Her work has touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of farmers, workers, and families across East Africa, from leading human rights strategies at Del Monte Europe and Africa to shaping gender equality and climate projects in the tea sector. Jane has influenced national policy, opened global markets for smallholder farmers, and championed women’s leadership in industries where barriers run deep.

Beyond boardrooms and policy tables, Jane has a deeply personal commitment to community empowerment. She initiated education scholarship programs that have supported more than 400 children through secondary and college education. A legacy of opportunity that continues to ripple through generations.

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Caren Wakoli
Board Chair

Caren Wakoli is a leadership practitioner helping to shape a generation of values-driven African leaders who lead from within. For over two decades, she has mentored emerging changemakers through mentorship, storytelling, and the inner work of leadership. She equips individuals and institutions to lead with courage, integrity, and purpose, guided by a simple belief: when leaders are well within themselves, they become catalysts for healing institutions and transforming society. Caren is the Founder and Executive Director of Emerging Leaders Foundation–Africa, a non-profit organization that equips young leaders to become ethical and courageous agents of change. Her leadership has been recognized globally through fellowships, including Acumen, the Obama Foundation, the Eisenhower Fellowship, and Stanford University’s Fisher Family Fellowship. She has also been named among the Top 100 Most Influential Young Africans and the Top 100 Most Influential African Women. Through her work, Caren is committed to raising leaders who do not pursue power for its own sake, but embrace leadership as a calling rooted in service, dignity, and societal transformation.

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